When CM Punk returned to the WWE Universe at Survivor Series, it effectively changed the game forever.

Walking onto the ramp in front of his hometown crowd in Rosemont, Illinois, Punk was cheered on like the prodigal son finally returned, with social media experiencing similar elation due in no small part to an incredibly orchestrated reveal by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who hit “Cult of Personality” after the “All Rights Reserved” text passed across the screen. Factor in his promotional tour across RAW, NXT, and SmackDown, and even if his first promo garnered attention for largely the wrong reasons, the reaction to Punk's return has been almost exclusively positive, with any fears of a disgruntled “Second City Saint” largely subsided.

But do you know what fears were very much real? The ones Punker had himself, as, in an interview with Jackie Redmond on her new eponymous show, he explained that he was a ball of nerves when the time came to return to WWE.

“100% of CM Punk was nervous. Returning to wrestling is one thing. Returning to WWE is a completely different animal,” CM Punk explained via Fightful. “I didn't know how things would go. It's not like I was off TV for a super long time, but you still, as a performer, you're like, ‘Is anyone going to remember me?' I was legit in an arena that had not been kind to me throughout my career. My first UFC fight was in that building. It was also hugely cathartic because I'm very much a guy who, if you ask me if I'm ready, I'm going to tell you ‘no' because part of the juice is being in front of a live crowd. I'm the old guy on the ice now. I can stretch and warm up, and I'm not going to be ready until I'm on the ice, the whistle blows, and the puck drops. Now, I'm ready. I need to be in front of the crowd, and I need to see the red light on the camera, and it's like, ‘Okay, now, it's go time.'”

Is it surprising to hear that CM Punk was that nervous about returning to WWE after nearly a decade away? Maybe yes, maybe no, as despite being on television just a few months earlier, wrestling in front of 82,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in the opening match of All In, he's been out of The Fed for a very long time and didn't exactly leave the promotion in good standing. Fortunately, it looks like those nerves were for not, as WWE and its fans have accepted him back with open arms, and it looks like he'll be working a very good match at WrestleMania 40 as a result.

CM Punk explains why he thinks Seth Rollins hates him.

Elsewhere in his appearance on The Jackie Redmond Show, CM Punk was asked about his relationship with Seth Rollins, who borderline hates his guts if his public comments are to be believed. While Punker acknowledges that Rollins has a lot of ill feelings towards him, in a way, he gets it, as “The Visionary” has followed the same path from the Midwestern indies to Ring of Honor and finally WWE, and has been compared to the “Best in the World” as a result.

“Hmmm. Uhh, because I have been everywhere he has been, and he hasn't been everywhere I've been. We're probably too similar, that's honestly the biggest thing I can think of. We're very similar,” CM Punk said via Fightful. “The difference is, I can talk about my career, and not have to mention him. He cannot talk about his career without mentioning me. I understand where he's coming from, I understand. I think he's always felt like he was the little brother. I've never tried to treat him that way, I've always tried to treat him like a peer, but some people you just can't reach. He hates me. He hates me. Like Colorado Avalanche and Red Wings.”

Can you tell the story of Seth Rollins without CM Punk? I mean, yeah, you could, as he has plenty of high-profile moments in his career, from The Shield to his Money in the Bank cash-in and even his current run with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that, at least to this point, didn't feature the “Best in the World.” Still, when his career is eventually written out, Punk's name has to come up sooner than later, much earlier than his own name would come up in the story of the “Second City Saint.” Assuming things shake out as they are looking like they could, the duo may soon add a major moment to both of their careers, as they could both headline a night of WrestleMania 40 as each other's opponent at the “Showcase of the Immortals.”